Often times when we meet with potential clients we are asked why they should consider hiring a Construction Manager? Many times they feel the General Contractor and themselves as Owners can effectively manage and build the project. In some cases they may be able to, but more often than not we see the need to hire an experienced Construction Manager to assure success in a project.

First let’s start off by defining a Construction Manager: Construction Managers are professionals engaged by the owner of a construction project to act as their representative and advocate for the project Owner throughout the course of the project. In the case of building construction, the construction manager would oversee all phases of the project, including permitting, sitework and prep, building construction and finishing. CM’s can also be involved in the pre-construction process from programming a project to managing the design and entitlements process.

Here are 5 key reasons why a Construction Manager will be valuable to your project:

Design Team Selection - The first part of starting a successful project is choosing your design team. Having an experienced CM on board can be instrumental in qualifying and choosing the right design team. Typically they will know who the strong firms are in your area and can advise accordingly. Additionally, the Construction Manager can conduct the interviews when it comes to designer selection. They will know the right questions to ask during the interview process.

Value Engineering - Getting a Construction Manager on board in the pre-construction phase to manage the design consultants is critical for cost savings since the CM can suggest construction methods and materials that ultimately will reduce cost and improve quality. Successful Value Engineering can also lead to substantial time savings in the schedule.

Construction Budget - An experienced CM can either create or assist with creating the overall Construction Budget. Fine tuning the budget to really understand what the cost of the project is going to be is critical. Depending on the size and resources of the CM firm hired, they can create the budget themselves or they can team up with an experienced General Contractor to create the budget. The benefit of having a detailed budget is to check numbers from GC’s come time for bid.

Contract & Budget Management - The hired CM will not only qualify the design team and GC, but they will want to draft the Architect and General Contractor’s contracts. By having the Construction Manager write the contract on behalf of the Owner will assure the Owner’s best interests are met and that the project will be covered for the entire scope of the work. The CM will also monitor and manage the budget throughout the course of construction. This includes reviewing monthly billings by the General Contractor as well as reviewing Change Orders that get sent over. A knowledgable CM will know if billings and change orders are acceptable.

Schedule - An experienced Construction Manager will monitor the schedule closely and suggest making adjustments to keep the schedule on track. The CM will be in constant contact with the design team or the general contractor to make sure they are meeting milestones as agreed to in the contract.

PDG provides complete “hands-on” construction management services from the 5 points noted above and more. For our full range of services and what we can do for your project CLICK HERE.

Lastly, any commercial construction project will have numerous pieces to coordinate. A good construction manager can be the difference between a stressful project and a successful project. We know how important it is for business owners to focus on their day to day operations without also having to worry about construction. Let us help you do what you do best by doing what we do best! Please CONTACT us today to start talking about how we can be a part of your project!